Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2025
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan
TOKYO - A panel of experts under the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering a proposal to revise the current defense buildup plan, which allocates 43 trillion yen ($297 billion) in spending over five years through March 2028, sources close to the matter said Sunday, as inflation drives up the cost of defense equipment.
The panel, led by Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chief of the Japan Business Federation, the biggest business lobby in the country, will submit a report on its discussions regarding the need to beef up the country's defense capabilities, possibly in the summer, for the government to consider.
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China rebuts Japan's assertion of airspace intrusion near Senkakus
BEIJING - China on Sunday rejected Japan's claim that a Chinese coast guard helicopter entered its airspace near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea the previous day, instead blaming the incident on the activities of a Japanese civilian aircraft at the time.
Liu Jinsong, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, chief minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, over what he called the "intrusion of a civilian aircraft operated by Japan's right-winger" into the airspace over the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu.
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Japan's child population falls for 44th straight yr to new record
TOKYO - Japan's estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a new record low, government data showed Sunday, as the country struggles to reverse the declining trend of births.
The number of children under 15, including foreign residents, was 13.66 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before the national Children's Day holiday on Monday.
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Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces
COLOMBO - Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Nakatani's visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region.
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Xi to visit Russia from Wed. to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony
BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for four days starting Wednesday to attend a ceremony in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, which Russia observes as Victory Day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Xi will engage in "strategic communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to the war anniversary event next Friday, on the development of bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said.
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Over half of major Japanese firms not using AI in hiring: survey
TOKYO - More than half of major Japanese companies do not use artificial intelligence in recruiting fresh graduates, a recent Kyodo News survey showed, highlighting a cautious stance toward relying on AI for hiring despite its growing use in the workplace.
Of the 117 companies surveyed across various industries, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., 64 said they do not use AI in recruitment, while 36 reported using it in some form, with 19 citing application form analysis as the most common use.
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Rugby: Eagles drop out of playoff contention with loss to Steelers
TOKYO - The Yokohama Eagles' slim hopes of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth flickered out Sunday with a 47-29 loss to the Kobe Steelers.
Starting the day in seventh place, head coach Keisuke Sawaki's Eagles needed a bonus-point win to keep alive their bid for a place in the playoffs involving the top six regular-season sides.
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Boxing: Inoue reveals plan to win 5th division ahead of Cardenas bout
LAS VEGAS - Japan's undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue revealed plans to conquer a fifth weight division Saturday on the eve of his world title defense against American Ramon Cardenas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Inoue and 29-year-old Cardenas briefly faced off after both cleared the 122-pound (55.3-kilogram) limit at a flashy weigh-in ceremony conducted in front of around 200 fans.
Video: Giant float at Seihaku-sai festival in Ishikawa Prefecture
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